Railway-switch stand



May 2l, 1929- E. F. sALlsBURY 1,714,450

RAILWAY SWITCH STAND Filed March l5, 1928 LEI `Patented May 21,1929.A Y i d y i Y .y i UNITEDQSTATES y PArENroFIFicE-v.

EUGENE E. sAtisBUnY, or MINDEN, Louisiana.

RAILWAY-SWITCH STAND. Application sied March is, 192s. y senin No. 261,322,

This invention'relates to railway switch Figa' is an enlargedfperspective viewof stands and locking devices therefor. the upper portion of theswitch; stand; and One object of the present invention isv to lFgf is a Verticaly sectional view through providea railwayv switch point operating that portion of the apparatus shown in 60 mechanism whereinthe vlocking mechanism Fig. 4. Y Y I 4for holding the switch points against acci-` As is usual, the switch points l() are adaptdental operation ishoused separately from ed to be moved into either of their'desired the switch stand, the housing for such lockposit-ions through a connecting rodv 11. In ing mechanism being comparatively low and the present construction this connecting rod 65 io resting on top of the head blocks'which suplies between vthe two head blocks'12 fand port the switchstand. By having the lockpreferably below the upper surface of the ing mechanism in a small low housing, pref- `latter, its free end Vremote fromfthe switch erably located between vthe head blocks, points being slidably received in a supported there is little likelihood ofthe connecting 'casingformedon the inner surface of'a'plate 7 0 rod and switch points ybeing injured oracci- 14 y'attached to :and spanning* thetwo head dentally operated by timbers or other heavy blocks. Normally, thefree end'of connect- Aobjectsfallin'g from passing cars. This is fing' rod 11 is 'disengaged from the target' not necessarily truein those types -of Vstrucrod' to be later describ'edand for this reason ktures wherein the l.locking mechanism is means Iare provided for engaging the `con- 75 f 2o housed in the switch Stand which rises a `ne'ctingrod and locking it against accidental considerable distance above the headblo'cks actuation. The preferred locking fmeans and is likely to ,"be destroyed or Aknocked consist of a lever '15 pivoted `on plate 11iY and down by timbers or other heavy objects fallprovided 'with' a depending bifurcated end ing from passing cars..` portion y1,6, thebifurcations-being adapted S0 A furtherobject is to provide a switch to engage in recesses 17 formedvin the conpoint-operating mechanism having the tar-` necting rod. -As will be apparent when the get rod supported in the switch stand, but bifurcations are in engagement with the normally disengaged Vfrom the connecting connecting rod-the latter will be held against rod which is' attached to the Vswitch points.` movement, but-:thedesired pressure of the S5 i' Withthis arrangeme t, if the switch stand operators rfoot on one end of the lever, 15

is knocked down or vdemolished by heavy willie-levate the bifurcations at the opposite i objects falling from the passing cars, it will end thereby freeing the connect'ingrod.

not eect, in any way, the connecting rod or For locking the lever with the bifurcations the vswitch points, the latter remaining 1nv in engagement with the connectingv rod'so 90 whichever position they happen to be locked as to prevent tampering-therewith by un- "in at that, time; v f Y authorizedgpersons, ay padlock may be uti- /Vith these'and other objects in view the lized, the lever having an aperturedpro'jecb invention consists of certain'novel details of ing portion 18andtherebeinga'similar proconstruction and combinations' and arrange jection 19 on plate y14: ito'vvhich the lock,il- 95- 4o ments of parts,` all as willhereinafter be lustrated diagrammatically at 20 yin Fig. 1,

more fully described and the novel features 'may be applied. thereof particularlypointe'd out in the ap; As has been'befor' stated, the present inpended claims. Y vention contemplates anl actuating. mecha- In the accompanying drawings, f nismr wherein the targetrod is normally dis- V10o Figure 1- is a plan view illustrating the connected from the connecting rod.. For head blocks, a'portionofthe rails and switch` v this purpose the target rod 21 isslidably points, and the mechanism for operating the received in av rotatable member'l 22 rotatably v-connecting vrod whichis attached 'tothe mounted von theY locking plate .2B of the switch points. f f switch stand 24;, the base of the latter being 105 5ov Fig. 2 `is an eleva-tionalv view of thel switch permanently mountedon the block heads 12. stand, the head blocks being shownV in sec VPivotedV at 25v in member 22 is the operating tion. lever 26 which normally assumes a depend-Y Fig 3 isa sectional 'view taken trans ing position so as to beheld by plate '23 versely of the head blocks and'illustrating v#against movement around the longitudinal 11o the locking'-mechanisrn for the connecting center of the target rod.v In order that lever 4rrod. l V26 may assume such depending position,

V gaged from the connecting rod l1.

.the target rod into and out of Y and another member 22` is slotted as at 27" and locking plate 23 is also cut away. The end of levei` 26 engaging the targetrod is formeel with bifurcations 28 and is rounded as at 29 so as to enter recesses 30 formed in the target body. The target body being slidably mounted in the switch stand it will be apparent that movement of the depending position will result in elevating the target rod, that elevated position of said rod being such that its crank shaped lever end portion 2la is raised above and disenlVith the parts in this their normal position, not only will the target rod'be disengaged from the connecting rod, but the lever 2G, being in its depended position, will hold the target rod against rotation so that the target signal will still serve the purpose of indicating the position of the switch point.

However, it it is desired to actuate the switch points, lever 26 is elevated by turning on its pivot 25, whereupon the bit'ui'- cated end portion of said lever will depress target rod2l, moving it into engagement with the connecting rod. This upward movement of the lever 26 brings it to substantially a horizontal position and, being free of locking plate 23, it, together with member 22 and the target rod 2l, may be rotated, and the connecting rod having been engaged by the target rod the switch points may be thrown, it being understood that preparatory to actuation of the mechanism, the locking means heretofore desired have been disengagedfrom the connecting rod so as to free the latter. i

By having the switch stand, together with the operating lever,vand target rod, normally disassociated, so to speak, from the connecting rod it will be appreciated that interference with, or absolute destruction of, the switch stand by timbers or other heavy objects falling from passing cars will have absolutely no effect on the switch points, nor even on the connecting rod. Likewise, `b having the connecting rod located below the upper surfaces of the head blocks and by having the locking mechanism therefor substantially housed below the surface of the head bloclsthere is little, injury to such locking mechanism by falling timbers. Preferably, `the reciprocation of engagement with the connecting rod is effected by the operating lever with which the target rod is also rotated. This simplifies the construction considerably as compared withthe pro- Y vision of separate actuating means, that is, one means for reciprocating the target rod for rotating it.

However, as the present invention, in its broader aspect, contemplates switch operated mechanisms wherein the target rod and connecting rod are normally Ldi associated,

lever 2G to its if any, danger oi"` one another, and means for some of the following claims have been drawn so as not to be expressly limited to a structure wherein a single member is utilized for effecting both of these movements ofthe target body.

That I claim is:

1. In a railway switch point operating mechanism, the combination of a switch stand, a target rod slidable in said stand, a connecting rod attached `to one of said switch points, and an operating lever for reciprocating said target lrod to connect and disconnect the same from said connecting rod and for rotating said target rod to throw the switch when said target rod is connected to the connecting rod.

2. In a railway switch point operating mechanism, the combination of a switch stand, a connecting rod, a target rod normally disengaged from said connecting rod, said target rod being slidable in the switch stand to engage said connecting rod, and means torgrotating said target rod to throw the switch when said rods are engaged with each other.

3. In a railway switch Vpoint operating mechanism, the combination of a connecting rod attached to said point, a'switch stand, a rotatable block on said stand, a target rod vslidable in said stand and block and normally disengaged from said connecting rod, and an operating lever pivoted in said block for reciprocating said target lrod to move it `into engagement with said connecting rod and for throwing the switch when said rods are engaged.

In a railway switch mechanism, 'the combination of a connecting rod, a switch stand, a target rod slidable in said stand andnormally disengaged from said connecting rod, and an opera-ting lever pivoted on said stand and adapted to assume a depending position when'said rods are disengaged and movable to a horizontal position to move the target rod into engagement with the connecting' rod, said lever being lockedfagainst rotation when in its depending position and rotatable together with the target vrod when in its horizontal positionto throw the switch point. l

5. In a railway switch point operating mechanism, the 'combination of a switch stand, a target rodv supported in said stand, a connecting rod attached at one end to theswitch points, said target rodand connecting rod being' normally disengaged from moving said rods other preparatory point operating into engagement with Veach to operation ef 'the switch points.

In a railway switch point operating mechanism, the combination of a switch stand, a target rod supported in said stand, a connecting rod attachedto said switch point but normally disengaged fom said target rod, means for locking said connecting rod against movement, and means for moving the target rod into engagement with the connecting rod preparatory to actuation of the switch points.

7. In a railway switch point mechanism, the combination of head blocks, a connecting rod attached to said switch points and slidable between said head blocks, a switch stand mounted on said head blocks, a target rod supported in said switch stand, but normally detached from the connecting rod, and means for bringing said rods into engagement with each other preparatory to ac-k tuation of the switch points.

8. In a railway switchV pointl operating mechanism, the combmation of a pair'or` head blocks, a connecting rod attached toy [he switch pointsvand slidably supported between said head blocks and below the upper surface of said blocks, a switch stand mounted on said blocks, a target rodjsupported by said switch stand, but normally disengaged from the connecting rod, means for moving vthe target rod into engagement with the connecting rod preparatory to actuation 'of the switch points, and means for locking said connecting rod against actuation when'disconnected from the targetfrod.

9. In a railway switch point operating mechanism, the combination of a pair of head blocks, a plate spanning said head blocks, and having a chamber on its inner surface adaptedto be positioned ybelow the upper surface of the head blocks, a connecting rod attached at one end to the switch points and having its other end slidably supported in said chamber, a switch stand mounted on said head blocks, a target rod supported in said stand, but normally disengaged from said connecting rod, means for moving said target rodinto engagement with the connecting rod preparatory to actuation of the switch points, a lever pivotedon said' plate engageable with said connecting rod `for holding the same against reciprocation, f

and means for locking said lever in position to hold the connecting rod against reciprog cation.

EUGENE F. SALISBURY. 

